The Little Things
by nomadff7
Summary: This fan-fiction is primarily a conversation that Cloud and Aeris have the night before they head to Gongaga Village. Cloud/Aeris pairing, with a teeny bit of Cid/Shera.


Author's Note: This is my first fan-fiction that I have posted at this site. I was very hesitant to do so though, so please don't flame me or my story. I wrote this a while back but think that someone somewhere may want to read it. If you have constructive criticism or comment about it then please review. If you just want to bash it then please don't waste your time. This story is finished, I don't think that it needs any more chapters because it is meant to be just a short scene that could have been in the game. It is Cloud/Aeris, so if you don't like them then I am sorry.  
  
You can visit my webpage at http://liz-jen.2y.net which has more Cloud and Aeris stuff along with other couples and video games. Enjoy! :o)  
  
The Little Things  
  
Cloud stood on the well traveled path leading to Gongaga Village. He was so close, he could already see the puffs of gray smoke swirling from the chimneys of the homes. He looked past the village, into the darkening sky. Hues of pink and red were parting ways for the twinkling stars to make their entrance. Cloud didn't want to go into the run-down village, for at the entrance was a small makeshift graveyard. It was a pitiful looking sight, with only a few broken tombstones, but the sorrow it emitted was greater than any he'd ever seen. He had a bad feeling about this place.  
  
"Cloud?" a gentle voice called out.  
  
He turned, and saw Aeris walking towards him from down the worn-down path. Her brown boots kicked up some pebbles and dirt as she approached him. He smiled slightly as she walked up to him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly as she pushed some unruly strands of golden hair behind her ears. "It's getting late; everyone else is already at the inn."  
  
Cloud sighed and motioned towards the town of Gongaga. "I was just looking around. You know, so I know where we're all headed tomorrow."  
  
He sat down on the ground, near the edge of the dusty road. The ground was cold and hard against his pants. Cloud looked up at Aeris and patted the space beside him. He knew she was here for more than just finding out what was keeping him. She smiled at him and sat beside him.  
  
"So," she said, clearing her throat. "What's been bothering you? You haven't been acting like yourself ever since we arrived here."  
  
"I don't know." he said flatly.  
  
Aeris smoothed out her pink dress. "Come on, Cloud, you can trust me." she said as she looked at him, her emerald green eyes sparkling with concern for her friend.  
  
"I just like to be alone sometimes." he said as he looked out at the darkening sky.  
  
"Me too." she said quietly. "When I'm alone I can take the time to appreciate the little things in life. And I can hear the planet better when I'm alone, too."  
  
Cloud nodded and brushed a piece of his blonde hair out of his face. "What do you mean by little things?" he asked as he looked at her.  
  
"Everything." she said with a warm smile. "I mean, like that little flower." she said as she pointed to a wilted yellow flower sprouting in the middle of the dirt road.  
  
"What's so special about that? It's a dying flower." he said as he looked at the pitiful flower.  
  
Aeris walked over to the flower and knelt down beside it. "No, it's not dying, Cloud." She motioned for him to join her. "It's surviving. No matter how many people walk on this road, or how many chocobos pull buggies here, the flower has overcome all the odds and thrived in the most unpleasant atmosphere. The air here is filled with smoke, the road isn't even soil, and it gets trampled on daily. It's inspiring to see it growing here."  
  
Cloud smiled. "Kind of like you."  
  
Aeris blushed slightly. "What do you mean?"  
  
He scratched his head. "I mean, you grew up in the slums, a dangerous, dirty place and each day must have been a struggle for you. The Turks were after you, and you had to sell flowers on the streets to get by. But you overcame all the odds and grew up to be the most beautiful and caring person I've ever met."  
  
Aeris looked down at her hands. "Thank you." she whispered.  
  
"You find the smallest thing, like this flower, and make me see what's great in it. I think that's really wonderful. When I'm around you, the world doesn't seem so cold and uncaring. It seems beautiful and full of hope." Cloud said as he touched her hand.  
  
Aeris smiled warmly, her emerald eyes shining. "That's the only way to see the world. Full of potential and hope. I see a lot in you too, Cloud."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"  
  
She giggled. "Like, that you care about all your friends so much. That's why you act cold and distant sometimes. You don't want to get too attached to anyone in case they leave."  
  
He nodded and looked at the little flower in front of him. Its little yellow petals were hanging on by the tiniest bit. The flower seemed wilted too, but it was still standing on a thin little green stem. "You're right." he admitted.  
  
"It's okay to show your feelings, Cloud." she said quietly. "None of us are going anywhere without a fight. Like this flower."  
  
Cloud stood up and walked back to the edge of the road. Huge trees were on the grass behind him. He looked at their thick branches and smiled slightly. "Can you climb a tree, Aeris?"  
  
The flower girl stood up and smiled at him. She pushed her thick braid behind her shoulder and walked over to him. "I don't know, I never tried."  
  
He reached up to a branch above his head and grabbed onto it. He put his boots against the trunk and climbed up. The branch was pretty sturdy. "Come on." he said to Aeris.  
  
She giggled as he sat down on a thick branch. He reached his hand down to her. Aeris grabbed onto it tightly and he helped her up the tree. She sat beside him, their legs dangling down the tree.  
  
"You're right, Aeris." Cloud admitted as he looked out through the tree's dark green leaves.  
  
She straightened her little red jacket and smoothed out her dress. "About what?"  
  
Cloud took in a deep breath of the fresh evening air. "About me being afraid of losing the people I care about. My father died when I was a baby and my village was burned down by Sephiroth. My mom was killed then, and she was the only one in Nibelheim that understood me."  
  
Aeris frowned. "But what about Tifa? I thought you guys were childhood friends."  
  
Cloud shook his head. "No. Not really. I wasn't part of her group. The first time she talked to me was when I asked her to meet me at the well, my last night in Nibelheim. She didn't even care about what I was saying until I said I might be famous."  
  
"But that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you." Aeris said softly. "Maybe then she realized how you were a great person."  
  
"Maybe." Cloud muttered. "But I think it's something else. I think she just wanted to be part of my good side, just in case I ever did become famous."  
  
Aeris nodded. "Maybe," she said as she looked into his deep blue eyes. "You know, I'm not like that."  
  
Cloud furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, I don't just like you because you were in SOLDIER or anything. And I also don't just like you because you remind me of my old boyfriend." she said quietly. "It's true you look like him, but you are completely different."  
  
Cloud nodded. "I feel like I know this place. I don't ever remember coming here, though."  
  
Aeris shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe one of your friends was from here."  
  
He thought carefully. Cloud knew that he had heard of this place before, but he just couldn't seem to remember when.  
  
"So," Aeris said as she looked out into the peaceful sky, "Why were you out here by yourself? I mean, we were all going to come here tomorrow anyway. It's not like you to just scout ahead like you said."  
  
Cloud sighed quietly. "I don't know. I guess it's just like you said, I need to be alone sometimes. I have a bad feeling about the rest of this journey. I just have this feeling that something terrible is going to happen. I was thinking about how far we've come and what we're going to be doing. Do you think something is going to happen? Can you feel anything?"  
  
Aeris played with the ends of her hair. "Maybe something will. But we can't spend our time worrying about it. No matter what happens, we all have to hold together and get though whatever our journey throws at us. Like the flower."  
  
Cloud reached down and held her hand. She squeezed it reassuringly. "As long as I have you here, I know I'll be okay."  
  
"Same here." Aeris said with a warm smile. "And we have a great group of friends with us too."  
  
"Aeris? What little things do notice in all of them? Things that I can't see?" Cloud asked.  
  
Aeris giggled. "I think Vincent is much more than anyone knows. He acts like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and doesn't want to let anything to happen to any one of us. I love his determination. I also believe that he'll find peace after we defeat Sephiroth. I also love Yuffie's sincerity. I know she doesn't act like it, but I believe that she truly does hold things dear. Like Wutai."  
  
Cloud laughed out loud. It felt good to actually laugh for once. Aeris noticed this, it was the first time she had actually heard him laugh. It was a nice sound, hearing his deep voice fill the empty night. "Her sincerity? She stole our materia!"  
  
She giggled again. "Come on, Cloud, she really does care about us all! And Nanaki has his desire to please others. He wants to feel useful and prove himself to his grandfather. Nanaki also has to live up to his brave father's memory. And I admire Barrett's belief in himself and his cause. He would do anything for this planet, even sacrifice himself. Most people here wouldn't do anything like that."  
  
Cloud thought back to when he first met Barrett. He had forced him to pay Marlene's schooling money to him. Cloud noted to give that money back to him later. "Well, what about Cid? I know that he likes Shera more than he lets on."  
  
Aeris smiled. "I know. I think he knows it too, but I guess he's afraid to tell her his true feelings. It's kind of funny, isn't it? Cid talks tough, but he's too insecure to even tell his best friend how he feels about her."  
  
Cloud nodded and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. He shifted his weight comfortably on the sturdy branch and thought about Cid. It was true, the pilot really was afraid of his feelings. Cloud wasn't like that, though. He knew that Aeris knew how he felt, even though he had never said anything. Their relationship was really amazing, he thought. They always seemed to be on the same wavelength, and they had only known each other for such a short time. Maybe his mother was right. Maybe he did need an older girlfriend.  
  
Cloud smiled mischievously as a thought crept into his head. "Hey, Aeris? When are we going out on that date you promised me?"  
  
She giggled. "Whenever you want, Bodyguard!"  
  
He looked out towards the sky. It was almost completely dark now. He felt safe out here with Aeris. The night was like a thick blanket protecting them from anything evil. Cloud didn't remember the last time he felt this happy.  
  
"Aeris?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Hmmm?" she asked, looking into his deep Mako blue eyes.  
  
"I think I'm falling in love with you." he said quietly. He normally wouldn't be so open with his feelings, but he felt no reason to hold back the truth from her. "I've never felt this way about anyone else before in my life."  
  
Aeris smiled warmly. "Really?"  
  
He nodded. "I just thought I'd tell you that, so we don't end up like Cid and Shera."  
  
Aeris smiled. "I want to be like them. Their relationship is beautiful, unspoken. I know Cid will come to his senses and stop treating her like he does. And I hope that I'm there to see the look on her face when he tells her how he feels!"  
  
"Aeris?" Cloud asked nervously. "Do you, you know?"  
  
She turned to face him. "Yes. You're my best friend, Cloud. I feel so comfortable around you, like I've known you my whole life! I think I do love you."  
  
Cloud smiled and reached his face down to Aeris'. Their lips met and they kissed gently. Cloud pulled away slowly and looked at her face. It was glowing with happiness. "Aeris." he said quietly.  
  
She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Shhh." she whispered. "Don't say anything. Let's just enjoy this perfect moment while it lasts."  
  
Cloud smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. He looked out to the twinkling stars and felt at peace. A gentle breeze blew past them, ruffling her skirt and their hair. The crickets around seemed to sing a song for the couple as they looked out on the beauty of nature.  
  
"I finally understand why Barrett wanted to save this all along." Cloud said quietly. "The planet truly is a wonderful thing."  
  
Aeris nodded. "Yes, but the people on it are even more wonderful."  
  
Cloud smiled warmly. "I agree. Aeris, you really are a special person. I never would have experienced the world like this if I never met you."  
  
Aeris smiled. "See? Everything has something wonderful about it if you just look for it."  
  
Cloud nodded slowly. "Like our flower." he said with a smile.  
  
Aeris giggled. "Yup, just like our flower."  
  
Cloud pulled Aeris close to him and they looked out at the road and sky before them. He felt so calm and peaceful with her next to him, and they both wanted this night to last an eternity. 


End file.
